Field of the Invention
The invention lies in the field of optical data transmission and relates to the releasable connection of light wave conductors to an associated coupling partner, especially an electrooptical module. It is possible, for example, for one or more electrooptical transducers which are to be contained in the module to be coupled optically with an end of an associated light wave conductor in each case. The term "electrooptical transducer", in the context of the present invention, is understood to be a component which, upon electrical triggering, generates optical signals (light signals), for example emitted in a range of 400 nm to about 1500 nm (hereinafter also referred to as optical transmitters), or a component which, upon impinging with optical signals, generates corresponding electrical signals (hereinafter referred to as optical receivers).
The invention relates to an optical connector for the connection of at least one light wave conductor end to a coupling partner, especially an electrooptical module, including a plug pin with a foot end and a front side, which receives the light wave conductor end for coupling and is insertable into a receiver of the coupling partner, and at least two catch arms with catch elements which hold the connector to the coupling partner in a connected state. The invention furthermore relates to an optical connection of at least one light wave conductor end to an electrooptical module.
Electrooptical modules with one or more electrooptical transducers are often contacted on printed circuit boards by soldering with electrical signal feed lines or signal branching lines. However, the heat introduced by the soldering process can damage the light wave conductor, if it is already attached to the module or is connected to the module during the assembly of the module, and accordingly endanger the functional ability of the optical data transmission. It is therefore especially desirable in the case of high-temperature soldering and automatic fabrication to be able to connect the light wave conductor to the printed circuit board only after the soldering assembly of the module. Known modules (see, for example, German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 33 35 529 A1 or European Patent Application 0 111 263 A2) are therefore unsuitable or can be used only with high fabrication technology expenditures, for example individual soldering of electrical connections, for such above-described temperature-critical applications, in which the light wave conductor end is already firmly attached to the module in the course of module manufacturing (so-called pigtail connection).
It is possible to basically avoid the above-described problem during the soldering assembly of a module by providing the module with a receiver (a so-called plug inlet) for the releasable connection of a plug connector, which seals off the light wave conductor end to be coupled. Such releasable light wave conductor plug connections are known (for example, see German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 195 33 498 A1, German Patent DE 43 11 980 C1, or German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 38 18 717 A1), but in all cases they involve a relatively expensively constructed plug connector constructed for many plug cycles and are made up of a large number of individual parts. For example, German Patent DE 43 11 980 C1 has an electrooptical module with a receiver for a plug pin which, for example, can be a component part of a plug connector known from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 195 33 498 A1.
A connector or connection of the type mentioned at the outset appears in German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 38 18 717 A1. The known connector serves for the connection of two light wave conductor ends to a coupling partner which is only diagrammatically represented. The connector has a plug pin with a foot end and a front side for every light wave conductor end, at which the front surface of the light wave conductor to be coupled is sealed off. The plug pin is insertable into a receiver of the coupling partner, whereby the front side of the plug pin and thereby the light wave conductor end reach a position in which an optical connection between the light wave conductor end and, for example, the associated transducer or some other light wave conductor is assured. The plug pin is lodged in a housing and in an unconnected state is surrounded by a protective cap. In a rear region of its narrow side, the housing has catch arms with catch elements. The catch elements lock behind cooperating catch elements of the coupling partner, for example in the form of housing hooks, in a connected state.
That known plug connector is also constructed for a frequent separation and renewed connection and is accordingly constructed to be mechanically strong. That, of course, results in a comparatively high fabrication technology and extensive material expense, which ends with comparatively high piece costs. The known plug connector accordingly does not represent an economical solution for the case in which only a small number of plug exchange operations, especially only the light wave conductor connection at the time of the module assembly, must be assured.
In addition, the known connectors have a comparatively long axial structure size, which requires a correspondingly great structure space and, in the case of radial tensile loads, produces relatively large mechanical moments on the connector and the coupling partner.